Saturday, January 03, 2015
SitcomsOnline Digest: Midseason Premieres Ahead; College Football Playoffs Make Cable TV History
Welcome to the first SitcomsOnline Digest of 2015! This is the last of our "winter break" editions where news is trickling out, but we've got updates on when your favorite midseason series will return, news of some sitcom (and cartoon) star deaths, and more. Let's get going!
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SITCOMSONLINE.COM AND AROUND THE WEB
- We've hit that time of the broadcasting year known as "midseason," and Deadline has a complete rundown of when you can expect your favorite midseason series to debut or return. (Deadline)
- We rarely talk about college football here, but it is worth noting that the college football playoffs made TV history, giving ESPN the honor of having not one, but two of the most watched cable telecasts ever. (CNNMoney)
- Donna Douglas, who played Elly May on The Beverly Hillbillies, died Friday morning at the age of 81. (CNN).
- Meanwhile, Christine Cavanaugh, who was best known for the voice of Chuckie on Rugrats (but also had appearances on sitcoms including Cheers, Empty Nest, Everybody Loves Raymond, and others) died this week. (New York Times)
- Looking for what is ahead in 2015 for TV on DVD? We've got our own preview. (SitcomsOnline)
JANUARY 6 HOME MEDIA RELEASES
- The Cosby Show - Seasons 5 and 6 (DVD, $14.98): The Huxtable family returns to DVD with this re-release from Mill Creek. Season 5 and Season 6 are also available as standalone releases.
- Married... with Children - Seasons 7 and 8 (DVD, $14.98): Mill Creek gives fans another re-release of the classic Fox sitcom on DVD, presumably with the original theme song reinserted into the episodes. Season 7 and Season 8 are also available as standalone releases.
Who to Follow: Markie Post (Twitter), "Not just the girl from Night Court...actress, mother, cake decorator, late adopter"
Claim to Fame: Markie Post got her start in acting in the in 1979, and made appearances on some of the big action series of the era (including CHiPs, Hart to Hart, and Simon & Simon), but she got her first regular role in The Fall Guy, where she played a regular supporting role for three seasons. She left that series in 1985 to go on to what is probably her best known TV role, that of Christine Sullivan on the sitcom Night Court, where she stayed until the end of the series. She didn't have to wait long for her next role after Night Court, though, she she went on to star with John Ritter in the sitcom Hearts Afire for three seasons. Her work in recent years has been in TV movies, though she has appeared in sitcoms such as Scrubs and 30 Rock. Most recently, she has been appearing in the series Chicago P.D.
Pick of the Tweets: "In Chicago looking for trouble on @NBCChicagoPD . Better hide your heart, Lindsay...@SophiaBush." (December 8, 2014)
Pick of the Tweets: "In Chicago looking for trouble on @NBCChicagoPD . Better hide your heart, Lindsay...@SophiaBush." (December 8, 2014)
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Tuesday, November 11
The Golden Girls: 40 Years of Laughter and Friendship -- A Special Edition of 20/20 - (ABC, 10:00PM ET/PT)
A behind-the-scenes look at the beloved sitcom's enduring impact on TV and culture, including interviews with superfans Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kelly Ripa, Laverne Cox and former guest star Mario Lopez.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 10)
Tuesday, November 11
- Eddie Murphy (The PJs) - Catch Eddie on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Morgan Fairchild (Cybill) - Morgan appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Rob Riggle (Rob Riggle's Ski Master Academy/Golan the Insatiable/Gary Unmarried) - Rob talks about Grit, Spit, and Never Quit: A Marine's Guide to Comedy and Life on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm, on CBS Morning News sometime between 7-9am and on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm. NBC's Today catches up with Rob in the 10am hour.
- Jamie Kaler (My Boys) - Jamie is a guest on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen at 12:37am on CBS.
- Ricki Lake (The King of Queens) - Andy Cohen interviews Ricki on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
- Ke Huy Quan (Head of the Class/Together We Stand) - Ke talks about Zootopia 2 on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm He also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT..
- Ginnifer Goodwin (Pivoting) - Ginnifer chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale/God's Favorite Idiot/American Housewife/The Odd Couple/About a Boy) - Leslie co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Chloe Fineman (Big Mouth/Search Party) - Chloe talks about Satuday Night Live on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Roy Wood Jr. (Sullivan & Son) - Roy talks about his new memoir The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Phil Rosenthal (Creator of Everybody Loves Raymond - Phil shares recipes from his new cookbook Phil's Favorites: Recipes from Friends and Family to Make at Home on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Tiffany Haddish (The Last O.G./The Carmichael Show) - tells Drew about her new series Tiffany Goes Off on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Oliver Hudson (Splitting Up Together/Rules of Engagement/My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star) - Oliver talks about Netflix's A Merry Little Ex-Mas on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Jane Lynch (Angel from Hell) and Kate Flannery (The Office) - Jane and Kate discuss their Christmas Cabaret tour on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
08/26 - The Huckleberry Hound Show - The Complete Original Series (Blu-ray)
10/07 - Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage - The Complete First Season
More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive
Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts
Sitcoms Online Main Page
Contact Us